The change-the-subject stunt annoyed some in the Ellison camp. As
Mary Kay Linge and Aaron Short reported in Sunday’s Post, one Democratic
source said Ellison allies had asked de Blasio not to come: “The buzz
is, what the f–k was he doing here?”

After all, the mayor has built a rep not so much as a progressive
leader but as a progressive opportunist. During the long Bernie
Sanders-Hillary Clinton contest for the 2016 presidential nomination, he
first tried (and failed) to play power broker, as with his unsuccessful
efforts to make both candidates attend his own issues forum.

Perhaps de Blasio was looking to reconnect with the Bernie bros by
going all-in for Ellison: Sanders and American Federation of Teachers
chief Randi Weingarten were the two main speakers when Ellison announced
for the job.

In the end, though, former Labor Secretary Tom Perez — the preferred candidate of former President Barack Obama — won.